


Throw me a Curveball!

by pufflers



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, Enemies to Batterymates, M/M, Mentioned Malleus Draconia, are they friends? are they lovers? no they are batterymates, baseball appropriate angst, i gave silver a last name thats only used like twice, just a pitcher and his catcher nothing gay here aha, no magic just baseball, rated t because they cuss and by they i mean sebek, this is pre-slash if anything else with implications of not so bro feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26524324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pufflers/pseuds/pufflers
Summary: Sebek aspires to catch for Malleus Draconia, easily one of the best pitchers in the district, and who wouldn't? His monstrous fastballs speak for themselves.When he's accepted into NRC and able to play on the same team as him he's on cloud nine.He promptly gets hurdled towards the earth when his batterymate ends up being not Malleus.Or alternatively silsebe enemies to batterymates, a 9k word experience
Relationships: Silver/Sebek Zigvolt
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21





	Throw me a Curveball!

**Author's Note:**

> Im sorry this was supposed to be 4k and this is quite clearly,,, more than 4k….  
> My hand slipped,,,, a lot….

It was a dream to be able to play for NRC, a goddamn _dream_ to play for such a powerhouse school known for their baseball team, an absolute _dream_ to be able to play on the same team as _the_ Malleus Draconia.

Malleus Draconia, locally famous for the perfect games he pitched when he was a mere middle schooler, not letting a single batter on base for all 7 innings while he dominated the mound. Known for his amazing stamina, not a single drop of sweat doused his face when he pitched those beautiful fastballs. 

Fastballs that left batters' heads spinning trying to keep their eyes on it, but more often than not as they prepared to swing, the umpire had already called a strike leaving them in a dazed state. Awestrucken by the pitcher before them, they can do nothing but gulp as they prepare for another go at the monstrous pitch, only to end in failure once again. Malleus Draconia was truly untouchable, only a notable 3 people in the district have managed to tip his ball but even then they were quickly thrown out at 1st base, Malleus’ team easily picking up the slack.

It should've been illegal for a 14 year old to have such precision and control over a pitch that others their age struggle with. He was a true power pitcher in the making if he wasn't already considered one. Though from all the articles written about the new up-and-coming player, everyone was in agreement that Malleus Draconia was _the_ pitcher to look out for when he finally entered high school.

Yes, Sebek thought to himself as he watched yet another one of Malleus's flawless pitches, that's who I want to catch for. _Him_ . _It has to be_ **_him._ **

Everything about him _screamed_ perfection, he was a catcher’s absolute fantasy, and Sebek’s hands tingled in excitement, wanting nothing more than to grab his glove and shove the current catcher out of the way so he could have the honour to experience his pitches but alas he merely grips the bleachers he sat on tighter.

As a naive 12 year old, Sebek thought anything to be possible, after all he got to where he was now with all his hope and determination spurring him on, the universe wouldn't stab him in the back right when he's so close to Malleus.

Malleus who's standing right in front of him, proudly wearing his uniform reserved for practice, the bright green number 1 printed onto the back of his jersey. His broad shoulders block Sebek's view of their coach but he pays it no mind, merely thankful he's able to stand so close to his admiration of 4 years. If he reaches out his hand he'd be able to touch him, to feel the warmth radiating off him confirming that he is real. That this is real. That he's finally able to play alongside Malleus. To catch for him.

"Zigvolt, you're assigned to Saber, I hope you both get along well." 

Sebek's stomach drops when he realises the pitcher he's assigned to isn't the tall dark haired boy he's been pining for as a batterymate for so long but instead someone the complete opposite of him.

Silver hair far too bright it reflects the sun into his eyes uncomfortably. Instead of stunning emerald eyes he expected to see he's met with dull lilac. And worst of all he slouches, not even bothering to cover the yawn that escaped from his mouth.

"Nice to…" the boy trails off before he releases another yawn.

Add mumbling to the list of flaws his assigned pitcher has. And yawning. He has far too many considering they've just met but with each second that ticks by, Sebek finds yet _another_ detail to scrutinize. 

"The pleasure is all mine," He doesn't bother to hide the snarl in his voice, his words harsh and grating even to his own ears but he can't help but take out his frustrations on the pitcher who's managed to stomp all over his aspirations in one fell swoop.

Despite his rising agitation towards the pitcher in front of him, it's merely another mountain he has to climb over and once he does, he's sure to form a battery with Malleus. He can get over this! All he needs to do is prove himself to the coach and they'll be _begging_ for him to catch for Malleus, he's sure of it! 

Working with the relief pitcher is easy compared to hurdles he's jumped through to even be able to attend NRC, much less get invited to their team.

Yes, it's going to be simple.

\----

"I called for a cutter, what the hell was that?!"

"A cutter."

"Oh was it now? I must need glasses because that was such a god awful cutter it didn't even make it to my glove."

"You should’ve dove for it."

"I'm not going to save your shitty balls if they cant even make it past home!"

Scratch whatever Sebek said about this being simple, it's anything _but_ simple.

Sebek angrily sighs to himself as he readjusts his catcher's mask, a nervous tick that carried over even into his highschool career despite how many times people have pointed it out. 

"Where are you going?!" Sebek shouts out to the boy who he now knows as Silver. 

"Break," Silver grunts out as he makes his way out of the designated pitching area and into the dugout, taking a seat in the shady refuge it provided.

"We haven't even broken 20 pitches yet, you're not allowed to go on break, get back here and pitch!"

Silver merely closes his eyes, not bothering to respond to the screams that echo across the field and if Sebek hates anything with a burning passion, it's being ignored. 

Being ignored by his so-called "partner" makes it to the top of the list, and he kicks at the sand below his feet in the midst of his frustrations. The sand cloud that forms before him in due part to the slight tantrum he threw is oddly comforting, and he finds himself calming down a little.

"Well, well, well, it seems you and Silver are getting along quite nicely hm? Trouble in paradise~?" 

His heart practically leaps out of his chest when he turns around to see his upperclassman with a smirk tugging at his lips, mirth in his eyes and radiating nothing but mischief.

Of course this is Sebek we're talking about, who willfully ignores all these signs in favour of saving face.

"Ah vice captain! I'm sorry you had to see all that," Sebek rubs the back of his neck, he can already feel his face heating up in embarrassment at his behavior, "it wasn't my intention to show such a childish display, forgive me."

"At ease, it's nothing that needs reprimanding," Lilia waves off his apologies, "in fact it was rather entertaining so I can't say I’m all that mad to be honest."

Sebek still can’t help but avoid Lilia’s eyes, the mortification of losing his cool in front of him remains strong and now would very much be an opportune time for perhaps a sinkhole to open up beneath him and swallow him up, sparring him from embarrassing himself more.

Lilia Vanrogue, third year and vice captain of the Night Ravens, despite being dwarfed in size by the rest of the team, he’s managed to guard his starting position as right fielder for 2 years. Though most importantly he came from the same middle school as Malleus.

Lilia who’s played alongside Malleus for at least a good half of his life, and that alone garners some respect from Sebek. Although he isn't as simpleminded as to merely revere someone only because they came in contact with Malleus. 

No, it's because of his plays, both on field and at bat. His agility as he dives for ball after ball, any and all that manage to make it to right field, tightly snug in his glove. Not to mention his arm, for someone as small as he you wouldn't think he'd have such a strong throw but he manages to always shock the opposing team with his hard drives to second base. And his batting? He was lead-off for a reason, managing to be able to get the best of any pitcher, whether right-handed or left, his switch-hitting always proved to be useful.

"But I do see you're having trouble with Silver…"

Lilia's voice snaps Sebek out of his thoughts and he's quick to fire back a response.

"Trouble?" Sebek snorts, "more like he's being unreasonable, I don't think the word trouble can even _begin_ to describe what this is." 

Lilia chuckles, "Ah, so I see this is going as poorly as I thought it would."

As Sebek opens his mouth, Liia immediately interrupts him before he even has a chance to question him, "well as your vice captain the only advice I can really give you is to be patient with him, he's not the _only_ one unhappy about this arrangement," the piercing look he gives Sebek juxtaposes the cheerful aura he was radiating and it was enough to cause goosebumps to raise all over Sebek's skin.

"How did you-"

"You're very easy to read, not to mention you have quite the throat so I wouldn't be surprised if the whole team is aware of your rocky greeting. I mean we _were_ all huddled together yes~?"

Sebek groans as he brings his glove to his face, muffling the sound as his brain helpfully supplies that also means Malleus must've heard him as well. There goes his good first impression. It's all going to shit isn’t it? And it's all Silver's fault if only he didn't--

"Not to interrupt your brooding session but I’m feeling quite generous today so I'll leave you with this. As someone who's known Silver ever since he was a babe I would highly suggest that you at least _listen_ to him."

A shrill whistle cuts Lilia off, "well I suppose that's enough dawdling around for one afternoon, so best wishes to you and _your_ pitcher~! I must return to my position before Coach contrives another reason for my untimely death. Farewell!" 

So they knew each other? Huh. He didn't quite expect for Lilia and Silver to have such a long intertwined history and here he is proven wrong yet again. Before his mind muddles over the possibility of Silver being close with Lilia, it comes to a screeching halt.

' _You and your pitcher~!_ '

' _Your pitcher~!'_

_'_ **_Your._ **’

His brain obsesses over the very word, the way it sounded as it left Lilia's lips to hang in the air, as if taunting him with its letters.

Right.

Silver is _his_ pitcher now. Not Malleus. But _Silver_.

And if Sebek kicks up another cloud of sand, maybe even two, that's now a secret shared between him and Lilia.

\----

"Stop following me."

"No, it's the only way you won’t ignore me."

Silver huffs as he turns around, stopping dead in his tracks to narrow his eyes at his, he grimaces at the slight bile that crawls up his throat when his brain supplies the word 'batterymate,' who stands in the middle of the academy halls, trailing after him for the better part of an hour. It's exhausting to have such a persistent _pest_ at his heels.

Though pest may be too strong a word to denote Sebek with, he doesn't want to sink to his level of insults which in enough itself is an insult but that's neither here nor there.

He raises an eyebrow, prompting the boy in front of him to make his case, the very least he'll do is entertain it, the faster he gets this over with the faster he'll leave him alone.

"Get your glove. Pitch for me."

"It's lunchtime, do you really expect me to abandon--"

"Cut the crap, Lilia told me you did this with the starting catcher so don't try to act like you wouldn’t drop everything to pitch a little."

If he could punch his smug face he would've done it ten times over by now, and he usually doesn't get so agitated but when it comes to Sebek his blood boils just a little bit hotter than the last.

Every rise of his eyebrows, every shit eating grin he flashes, every--

God it gets under his skin like nothing else has managed to in his 17 years of living! Quite the bold claim but when you consider yourself rather cool headed, it's safe to assume that this has come extremely out of left field, surprising not only his teammates but Silver himself.

He had every intent to be civil to the catcher he was going to be paired up with, whether it be the one he so asked for or not. He had manners and he was going to stick to them.

That quickly got thrown out the window when he was greeted with nothing but hostility as his first impression, the boy practically growling at him the minute he opened his mouth. 

Call him petty but he can't help but return the same sentiments when Sebek doesn't even bother to mask his ill temper with the situation they've been forced into. 

And he _especially_ doesn't appreciate the fact that this cocky 1st year thinks he can push him around just because they happened to be paired together. 

"Not interested," he easily spouts back and it takes all of his self control to not glare at Sebek.

"And why not?" Sebek indignantly replies, his smirk quickly morphing into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration. 

"I don't intend to babysit a catcher who throws a hissy fit when I 'can't throw for shit.'"

It feels satisfying to throw Sebek's own words back at him, to see the way his face turns red, whether it's from embarrassment or anger Silver has yet to surmise, but he's addicted to it.

Sebek for once being shocked into a silence since Silver first became acquainted with him, it's a strange sight but he can't say it’s all unpleasant to see his motor mouth closed for once. 

"I suppose my behavior has been…" Sebek clears his throat, "immature as of late…"

"Immature?" 

" _More_ than immature..."

Silver nods, humming in agreement, pleased with this... apology of sorts. An acknowledgement of his absurd actions. It's a start at the very least.

"So I would like to," Sebek seems to stumble over himself, out of his element and extremely uncomfortable with the notion of having to appeal to Silver, as if that fact wasn't so apparent with the way he constantly shifts his weight from either foot. 

He eventually collects his bearings enough to croak out the next few words.

"...make up for that. Would you please join me in an impromptu session? It's embarrassing to admit that as a catcher I don't quite know what pitches you can throw nor your preferences, so I would like to start… _now_ … quite possibly before practice..." 

It's kind of endearing the way Sebek couldn't even manage to make eye contact with him, far too busy ducking his head in hopes that he'd be able to spare Silver of his crimson face. So the kid had a cute side huh? If only he'd show it off more, he'd be much more bearable but…

He can work with this.

I mean he _has_ to work with this, Coach was extremely adamant about keeping his assigned batteries when he brought up his concerns, quickly shooting down any hopes of changing partners in an instant. He _has_ to make this work lest the rest of his year is going to go to waste because his catcher hates his guts. Sebek is meeting him half way out of his own accord, and Silver will do his best to reciprocate his efforts.

"Trying to save face?" Silver muses, his lips forming a subtle smirk.

Well _after_ he teases him first, consider it sweet retribution to all the trouble he's caused for the team and more importantly to his ears from all his screaming.

"I am n-not!!" Sebek sputters, "Shut up and just answer me!"

Silver sighs as he takes out his glove from his school bag, turning away from Sebek to begin his trek to the field, "Fine but just know I'm not throwing more than ten pitches, I refuse to go above my pitch count before practice."

"Well isn't someone a stickler for pitches, I didn't expect for _you_ of all people to keep such a close count much less enforce such a strict limit," Sebek trails after him, his own glove in his hand.

"What? Did you really think I'd be so careless as to not regulate myself? You _do_ realise I'm on the first string right?" He didn’t mean for his tone to be so accusatory but he feels offended at the mere _notion_ of Sebek thinking he wasn't serious about being a pitcher. It frustrates him to no end that he has the gall to even _suggest_ such a thing right in front of his face.

Sebek glances over to Silver and he realises the rising tension between them, the white flag he so graciously offered catching flames before his eyes.

"Take no offense I didn't mean it like _that_ ," Sebek huffs as he runs his fingers through his hair, "I just-" 

Silver watches with a steady gaze as Sebek tries to string his thoughts together, his face doing nothing to mask his exasperation with such a task. He wonders how Sebek was able to secure the catcher position in his old team if his face was so expressive, the other team was surely able to easily read his plays just from looking at him.

"I meant… it genuinely surprises me that there are pitchers out there who don't rely on their catchers to mother hen them, constantly seeing to their practice and needs... and that you happened to be one of them is all."

Did Sebek not have a reliable pitcher in middle school?

Before Silver could entertain the question further Sebek breaks into a light jog, going over to open the fence gate that separated the field from the rest of the school. They arrived a lot faster than Silver initially thought, but he spares it no expense as he too joins Sebek in the diamond, he drops his bag unceremoniously by the third baseline and his feet automatically lead him towards the mound, far too familiar with this routine.

"Before we start, did you have any signs with your previous catcher or...?" Sebek asks and he leaves his question to hang between them, as he digs through his bag for his equipment.

He wants to set up signs already? I mean Silver should've expected it but to see Sebek so involved it makes him--

"I see that look on your face and I want to state this clearly so we have no further _misunderstandings_ ,” Sebek spits out, chest protector in hand as he slips his head through the neck hole, “I have no intention on being your _batterymate_ , in fact I couldn't care less. I joined this team for a specific reason and it's to catch for Malleus.”

“This," Sebek motions between them, "is merely temporary and I'm sure you would agree that you're also not keen on keeping this _partnership_."

Silver’s mood instantly soured, Sebek has an innate talent for pissing him off, but this is just ridiculous! He can't be so naive as to think that he'll be paired up with Malleus, ace and captain of the Night Ravens right? Sebek hasn't even played his first game of the season yet, there's absolutely no way Coach is going to let him catch for their star player...

"And how do you expect to accomplish catching for our _ace_?"

"Why that's easy," Sebek relays as he begins to hook his leg guards into place, "I show how amazing of a catcher I am when we debut our battery. My spectacular lead coupled with your subpar pitching that will surely shine under my guidance. It's a perfect combination that I'm sure will get the attention of Coach and have him _begging_ for me to be a starter."

"So you plan on using me?" Silver unamused with whatever shit Sebek is spouting about now.

"You see you make it sound like it's something a lot more awful than it seems and I can assure it's not, this is beneficial for the both of us!"

Despite the distance between home plate and the pitcher's mound Silver can clearly hear Sebek’s mumbled ‘well more so for me than anything else but that isn't necessarily _a bad thing_.’

"Well we can mull about this discussion at a later date," Sebek crouches behind home, and pounds his glove with his other hand, "Pitch."

Silver wills every bone in his body to relax before he manages to aim a fastball straight towards Sebek’s head.

Can you blame him? He knows Lilia is going to scold him if he ever found out that he injured the rookie catcher quite intentionally but some risks are worth taking. Some risks are dying to be picked _especially_ if there's a green haired boy with the most infuriating face at the receiving end of them.

\----

The sun washes the field in its blinding heat, sweat building up on the back of Sebek's neck, it doesn't help that he's wearing every article of his catcher’s gear. Usually he wouldn't dare to put anything but his helmet and mask, maybe a chest protector if he wanted to be safe during pitching practice but after he became _painfully_ aware of Silver's wild pitches, it became a must.

Too many bruises scatter all across his shins and knees, the flesh becoming too tender to touch and he winces everytime he manages to brush his hand against them. He's quite used to injuries considering his position but he still cusses at Silver every time the ball manages to ricochet into his body.

He adjusts his mask and shifts his feet, from this crouched position he can barely make out Silver as he stands a good distance away, the sun shining into his eyes doing nothing to help.

The left hand by his thigh flashes a set of fingers; his pointer and middle finger before he puts down only his pointer and then he once again repeats the first set.

2, 1, 2.

Sebek taps his inner left thigh.

He waits with bated breath for Silver to interpret his signals.

Silver shakes his head.

Sebek's frustrated sigh is amplified because of his mask and he repeats the sign albeit more aggressively. 

**2, 1, 2.**

When he 'taps' his thigh this time it's a lot louder than he intended and he can see the way the other pitchers turn to glance over before returning to their own practice, Malleus included.

Silver adamantly shakes his head again.

It takes all of Sebek's self control to not march over to Silver and grab him by the collar of his shirt as he demands why he can't give him a stupid curveball. Unfortunately he can't do that, Malleus is watching. He instead relents to Silver's demands.

2, 2, 1.

He taps his thigh once more and it doesn't take Silver even a second to nod his head, already preparing to wind up, ball clutched tightly in his hand. He brings his left leg up to his chest, his other supporting him, he doesn't even shake having such stable footing on the rubber. For one singular second Sebek is so focused on surveying his form, his eyes rake all over Silver's body trying to find _anything_ to critique him on and he finds that his throat is dry. He swallows, trying to at least temporarily moisten his mouth before he can quench his sudden thirst but his efforts are wasted, he still feels rather parched. 

He'll make sure to drink more water during break, it _is_ rather hot out, and before he could deliberate anymore he looks up to see Silver standing in front of him. 

"Hey, are you okay?"

He rises up, shoulders rigid as his mind tries to desperately catch up.

"What makes you think I'm not?!" 

Silver points to his glove, "You didn't throw it back." 

Sebek looks down to see a baseball in the palm of his glove, since when did he--

His confusion must've been apparent on his face because Silver merely frowns, "Are you sure you're okay? You seem really out of it, is the heat getting to you…?"

The way Silver subtly cocks his head in question, his hair plastered to his forehead from the heat, his neck glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, not to mention the way his jersey clings onto him, it's far too much for his brain to process.

He swallows thickly. 

"I don't mind breaking for water." 

It's pathetic the way Sebek's voice wavered, and if it weren't for the fact that his face was already flushed from the strain of practice, he's sure he would've been blushing. It's as Silver said, he must've been feeling faint from the heat, water will do nicely to cool his head.

Silver gives him one more look before he nods, and they both turn towards the dugout, their shoulders faintly brush each other as their steps manage to sync. It makes Sebek shiver with---

He doesn't quite know _what_ exactly but it's not a pleasant feeling he enjoys. His stomach has been tossing and turning like wild, his head is spinning and everything is moving far too fast for his liking. The minute they pass the barrier into the dugout, Sebek takes a seat at the bench placed inside.

Silver digs through the cooler, tossing him a bottle of water that he catches easily and hastily gulps down. 

"Don't drink too much or you'll get a stomach cramp, we still have 14 more pitches to go before we can call it a day." 

Silver's voice makes him freeze in place and that disturbing fluttery feeling is back, it pangs painfully against the walls of his stomach. A pitcher scolding their own catcher? What a ridiculous sight. If anything _he_ should be the one scolding him for constantly shaking off his calls but he quells his irritation in favour of catching his breath, basking in the silence the dugout provided. He can hear the distant yells of his teammates, the loud ringing of aluminum bats making contact with baseballs, the satisfying sound of gloves catching pitches…

It's relaxing and he closes his eyes, savouring the familiar sounds that have trailed him as early as his childhood. The slight shuffling beside him doesn’t bother him nor does the sudden added weight of the bench he's sat at. A very much needed break and he silently thanks Silver for having the foresight to imply one because heaven knows what it would take for Sebek to set aside his pride to call it in earlier than his pitcher. 

His eyes snap open, and he’s on his feet so fast that his cleats scuff against the concrete flooring littered with sand, making an awful rasping noise. 

“I think we’ve rested enough.”

Silver raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment on the matter, he rolls his right shoulder, and rises from the bench as well.

Sebek curses his mind, Silver is not _his_ pitcher, they are not _batterymates_. He needn't get attached to the idea of it, it's temporary. With that in mind, he marches back towards the bullpen, where all the other pitchers resided. Silver trudges behind him, staring curiously at the catcher in front of him and Sebek can feel his gaze, it causes his skin to prickle.

He pays it no heed, merely quickening his pace, ready to throw himself back into practice and these intrusive thoughts out of his mind.

\----

"You know it's Saturday and this is the day we're supposed to rest…" 

"Yes I'm quite _aware_ ," Sebek grunts out, struggling on getting a proper grip on the fence he's trying to climb but his feet keep slipping off the chain link and he cusses underneath his breath.

"Will you stop staring at me and give me a proper hand?!"

Silver sighs as he goes over to Sebek, resigning to his fate of sneaking into the school's field at an absurd time of night. A text from Sebek had piqued his interest, and really he should be the responsible one in this situation, he should've shut down the younger, reprimanding him for such a terrible idea. A simple 'please?' had him caving into his demands, his hand already clutching his glove tightly, shaking with excitement at the prospect of pitching.

They both knew more than anyone how faulty their battery was and any practice they could sneak in would be beneficial for the upcoming inter-team scrimmage they were soon to play even if it meant going against Coach's wishes. Silver's head throbs at the mere thought of the tongue lashing he'd get if Coach found out, much less Lilia.

He pales at the mention of his vice captain and childhood friend. He went over 40 pitches last practice and Lilia keeps a rather close eye on the bullpen, a force of habit from when Malleus would overwork himself when he first entered high school. 

Now is not the time to be thinking about the possible consequences he'll get if this ever comes to light, it'll only make his pitches worse from all his nerves. He shakes his head, he doesn't want to waste Sebek's time like that, it'd be unfair to the both of them but especially him. 

He brings his hands up to form a foothold for Sebek to step onto, and once he does, he's up and over the fence without too much struggle unlike Silver whose shoes have a decidedly better grip and he gracefully scales the obstacle.

Sebek narrows his eyes, opening his mouth before he turns away thinking better than to start their squabbling now of all times. He takes his place right behind home plate, glove in one hand and ball in the other, he waits for Silver to take the mound.

Silver takes little time in arriving to the rubber, once he does Sebek throws him the ball, and they engage in a game of catch to warm up. It's strange how eerily silent the field has become, only the sounds of their gloves and the soft buzzing of the fluorescent field lights fill his ears. Sebek never bothers with any small talk during their warm ups, not that Silver particularly minds, it's quite nice to be able to let his thoughts wander as they mindlessly throw back and forth. 

If there was one thing Silver preferred Sebek over his previous catcher for, it had to be that he wasn't one for needless chatter and unfortunately his old batterymate he paired up with as a 1st year was quite the chatterbox. While he grew accustomed to it after a season and admitted that it was comforting at times, it proved more to be a distraction than anything else and Silver's glad he doesn't have to be plagued by it any longer.

Not to say he's all too happy to have Sebek either, Sebek is…

He's a good catcher, after their rocky start he could tell why he got scouted to their team. He rarely lets a ball pass him, his fast reaction time allowing him to shift from the heels of his feet to his knees in an instant, effortlessly blocking any pitch. It amazed Silver the first time he gave witness to it, his improper grip on the ball had unfortunately caused his sinker to break too fast, aiming it straight into the dirt. He was sure it was going to bounce off the ground and bypass Sebek, he was even preparing the hurried apologies he would say. 

But Sebek managed to surprise him. 

His glove neatly held the ball, his other hand over the top of it, dirt covered his leg guards but he still looked at Silver with that self satisfying smirk, as if challenging his previous notions. 

It gave him hope. Hope that--

"I think we’ve thrown quite enough, are you all warmed up?”

Silver nods, his arm feeling rather loose albeit a little sore from yesterday. 

“I don’t want to push it too much...how about a good 20 pitches for tonight?”

“‘Push it too much’” Silver parrots back, “You realise you're the one who’s sneaking under Coach’s nose for some extra practice.”

“Which _you_ agreed to, so will you pitch or not?!" 

It's so easy to bait reactions out of Sebek, his cheeks puff up, his eyes narrow and he gets all rigid. The squabbling Silver engages with him is staged for the most part, emphasis on _most_. 

Sebek crouches and pounds his glove, ready to catch any pitch Silver deals to him. His sinkers are great, his changeups could use a little work and his cutters…

He watches as Sebek dives for the ball, going way outside the strike zone, his shins and elbows all covered with dirt from the sudden movement. His mask even pops up and ends up on the ground, taking his helmet along with it. He's aware of how long Sebek spends styling his hair, after all he complains about it at the end of each practice albeit muttering under his breath but Silver's ears still manage to pick up the faintest whispers. 

It's all sweaty and clumpy, helmet hair going in so many different directions, and really there's _nothing_ attractive about it.

"We're not going to be able to use that for tomorrow," Sebek sighs, mentally checking off his list of pitches Silver has in his repertoire while he runs his hands through his hair, trying to comb the mess down. Silver's eyes track each and every movement, greedily commiting the image to memory. 

Disappointment floods his system when he sees Sebek pick up his discarded headgear, placing it back on and thus obscuring the rats nest of a hairdo from his view. 

"Now all that's left," Sebek crouches once more into position, "is your curveball…" and he pounds his glove, the sound echoing in the barren field and reverberating in Silver's ears doing nothing but setting his nerves ablaze.

"It's fine we already have a good enough arsenal with my sinkers and changeups, and if worse comes to worse we could also throw in my cutter…?" His voice wavered so much his statement sounded like a question.

"Your cutters are god awful and you _know_ that. You'd be walking batters more than you would be challenging them," Sebek snorts, "it'd be easier if you just throw a curveball, isn't that one of your best pitches or was I watching the wrong games?"

Sweat builds up in the palm of Silver's hands, and he suppresses the urge to shiver, his tongue heavy in his mouth but he wills it to move, "You watched the tape recordings?"

"I needed to get an idea of who I was working with so I asked Coach if he could let me watch back some of your old games as a 1st year. I only watched a couple from the start of the season though… I wish I had more time to look through them properly." 

Silver sighs in relief, so he didn't see _that_ match. But that's the least of his worries, Sebek's impatience was getting rather apparent each second that ticked by.

"Either way," Sebek pounds his glove harder than the last, "Curveball." 

Silver shakes his head. 

Sebek rises from his position, his figure backlit from the outdoor lighting, and it's intimidating the way he lumbers over to him, each step crunching against the ground. Silver would've been glad earlier to see Sebek without his catcher's mask but right now all it does is force him to face such fierce glaring eyes.

"You've been shaking off my leads since day one and I'd like an explanation," Sebek's tone is controlled, each syllable annunciated clearly, which is admittedly much more unnerving than him screaming his throat raw. 

He looms over Silver, his face casted with shadows, "Why don't you want to throw a _fucking_ curveball?" 

\----

_It's the bottom of the 9th, the Ravens have Silver Saber on the mound. It's a full count at 3 balls and 2 strikes, runners on first and third, 2 outs. Both teams are currently tied at 3 runs each, it's highly likely they'll extend into the 10th inning if this stalemate continues._

_Saber has been fending the opposing team off quite well with just his sinkers, it's about time he shows off his phenomenal curveballs eh?_

_This is the best time for him to use it, he's been pitching sinkers to the outside corner this whole inning and the current batter keeps getting foul tip-offs. The more he extends his pitch count the less likely he'll be able to close off this inning._

_He's at 83 isn't he?_

_84\. And that's another foul._

_You can tell how antsy he is at how long this at-bat is getting dragged out._

_Saber winds up again, and--_

_Ooo that's a curveball straight into the dirt!_

_Wait! It bounced past the catcher and into the fence behind him, the runner at third is booking it straight towards home! I can't believe it! The catcher didn't still doesn't have the ball--_

_And that's another run for the Golden Lions! The Night Ravens absolutely cannot come back from this, that's the game folks! The Night Ravens lose their chance at qualifying for nationals and the Golden Lions advance onwards with a one run lead._

\----

"Why are you so obsessed with curveballs!?" Silver's voice comes out much louder than he intended but the cheers of the deafening crowd on that day drowns out any semblance of coherent thought.

He remembers it all: the jeers, the pitying looks from the stands and the sympathetic 'you did great out there.'

But most importantly he remembers the tears that his teammates shed as they exited the dugout, knowing that they won't be able to play another game till next season. But for some there wasn't a next season, there was only graduation. Their dreams crushed with a single pitch, a pitch that he doled. The tears they continued to shed on the bus ride home and into the night.

It's what he carries when his thumb caresses the red seams, his hand cupping the ball in his grip. But it's far too heavy for him, his fingers cramp up under the intense pressure and he finds himself dropping the ball, it's a weight too massive for him to carry alone. 

"Because it's the only pitch you haven't shown me yet! I'm your catcher aren't I?!" 

From such a close distance he can't only _see_ Sebek’s ragged breaths but he can _feel_ them, the way he rack his lungs for air, his shoulders shaking with each rise and fall of his chest. The space between them is electric and it's too much for Silver, it's overwhelming his senses to the point he can't properly think of a response to his question, much less verbalize it.

So he doesn't.

He turns away from Sebek, glove in hand and walks away. 

Away from the mound, away from the field, _away from Sebek._

\----

It's a bright and early Sunday morning, the sun is shining, and there's no sign of any rain clouds. An absolutely _perfect_ day for baseball!

Well…

_Almost_ perfect.

Silver and Sebek haven't spoken to one another since their altercation last night and it doesn't seem like either of them are exactly keen to start. Avoiding each others glances and resolute on sitting on opposite sides of the dugout so as to lessen their contact. It's quite obvious how much they're trying to avoid each other in the way Silver dashes out the second Coach yells at them to warm up while Sebek lingers behind. 

So a _less than perfect_ day for baseball but a day all the same!

Before they know it, the whole NRC team is gathered and split up into two groups: Team A and Team B. Lilia and Malleus get placed into Team A and Silver hopes he has just enough luck to not be placed on the same team as Sebe--

“Saber, Team B. Zigvolt, you’re also on Team B.”

Of course his misfortune manages to precede him.

Silver cringes when he reads the roster, his eyes automatically scanning the page for his name, which he finds just above Sebek's.

Relief pitcher.

He's not ecstatic about being reduced to a reliever again but that's not where his problem starts. His eyes glance towards Sebek’s name.

Relief Catcher.

While it doesn't imply that Coach is going to debut their battery in today's game, after all he might just switch in Silver when the starting pitcher gets tired but he can only feel dread creep up his throat. 

_"This game is to test your abilities, see where you are and how much you've improved. And for you 1st years, it's your true first impression on whether you'll be considered for the first string."_

Coach was staring straight at Sebek when he announced that there's no way he won't let him play. Silver groans when he comes to the conclusion that he'll be having to face more than just the batter today. His impending doom can't wait any longer because he hears the resounding "Play ball!" and he shifts in his seat in the dugout, wanting to get a better glimpse at the action without having to stand up. Lilia is leadoff for the opposing team, and he marches to the right side of the plate, ready to slug the ball straight into outfield.

...

_Top of the first. 1 run. 3 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the first. 0 runs. 0 hits. 2 errors._

  
  


_Top of the second. 5 runs. 6 hits. 0 errors._

_Malleus hits a grand slam._

  
  


_Bottom of the second. 0 runs. 0 hits. 2 errors._

  
  


"Saber, go warm up in the bullpen. Zigvolt, go catch for him." 

Silver is taken out of his reverie at the sharp command, and rigidly stands up, his impending doom came knocking much sooner than expected. It's only the second inning and he's already being ordered to warm up?

As he exits the dugout he sees Sebek already at the designated bullpen, marked off to the side of the field, ball in hand as he impatiently taps his foot. The lime green nail polish on his left hand reflects brightly under the sun, and Silver's eyes are attracted to the vivid display.

"You painted your nails?" It's the first Silver says when he manages to join Sebek's side. Really it's the first thing he's said to Sebek _all day_ and out of every topic he could've chosen to speak of first, _perhaps an explanation of his behavior last night_ , he chooses to instead question the obvious. He may as well have asked about the weather if he wanted a dry conversation.

When he's met with hesitance from the other party, he isn't surprised, Silver would also be _rather_ unwilling to talk as well. Though Silver's head slightly tilted in curiosity seems to encourage him just fine.

"Yeah… so you could see my signs better…" Sebek's voice gruff from lack of use.

"Oh. It looks nice."

"...thanks."

Their pathetic conversation ends on a painfully awkward note, and so they practice in silence, Sebek not even bothering to ask for certain pitches or shouting encouragements, he just lets Silver warm up however he pleases while he dully throws back the ball. It's a hollow feeling not hearing his voice but he supposes he brought this upon himself didn't he?

Silver merely hopes he'll sign to him during the actual game because if he doesn't…

Well he might've just landed himself in some hot water.

  
  


_Top of the third. 12 runs. 7 hits. 0 errors._

  
  


_Bottom of the third. 0 runs. 0 hits. 2 errors._

  
  


_Pitching substitution. Silver Saber replaces _____ ________._

_Defensive substitution. Sebek Zigvolt replaces ______ ________, batting 5th, playing catcher._

_Top of the fourth._

Silver shivers as he jogs out to the mound, the starting pitcher looking absolutely exhausted as they drop the ball into his glove, dragging their feet into the dugout to get a well earned rest for pitching for 3 innings straight against the monster of a Team A.

It's up to Silver to hold down the mound now, they're desperately behind on runs and the least he can do as a pitcher is end the inning as quickly as he can. He takes a deep breath as he fiddles with the ball in his right hand, he can already feel the sweat building up in his palm and he quickly shifts the ball into his glove and wipes his hand on his pants.

The batter strolls up to home plate, casually adjusting their elbow guard before they sling their bat over their shoulder, not even bothering to bend their knees.

Silver's eyebrow twitches, they're clearly not taking their team seriously but he can't lose his cool head now, so he instead focuses on Sebek, waiting for his call.

It seems like an eternity has passed before Sebek puts down a sequence of fingers, lime green nails easy to interpret and ending his sign by tapping his left thigh. He pounds his glove and sets it closer to the outside corner of the strike zone.

Silver would be lying if he said he didn't feel a sense of peace flow through his body and down to the tips of his fingers when Sebek started to sign to him, one less thing to worry about.

He nods. A sinker to the outside corner? He can do that.

He winds up, arms bent at the elbow, he brings them up, hiking his right leg close to his chest and he steps off the rubber with the same foot, the ball shooting out of his hand.

When he hears the loud _fwomp_ of his pitch meeting Sebek's glove, his heart hammers against his chest, blood rushes to his ears, as he tries to suppress his fluttering stomach.

_Strike._

_0-1_

Shouts erupt from the fielders, all varying from "Nice pitch!" to "2 more strikes!" but his ears catch none of it. 

" **Nice pitching.** " 

It's Sebek's voice that cuts through the cacophony of noise, demanding all his attention despite the fact that he wasn't as loud as the other's. It's a moderate volume just enough so Silver can pick up on it but not even close to the yells surrounding him.

Something warm blossoms in his chest, the fluttering has gotten worse and he's worried he's going to spill the contents of his stomach right here in the middle of the field.

Sebek throws him back the ball which promptly snaps him out of his stupor as he opens his glove to catch it. 

"Only 8 more strikes to go, so look alive, _pitcher_ ," Sebek's all too smug smirk is back, obscured by his catcher's mask but Silver can clearly imagine it, he's far too familiar with the sight and his heart _throbs_.

_Only_ 8 more strikes to go to end the inning with the best possible scenario, and Silver is aware that isn't the easiest feat considering their opponents but when Sebek says it with _such_ confidence, it makes him believe that a 1-2-3 inning is within arms reach.

...

_End of the top of the fourth. 15 runs. 11 hits. 0 errors._

  
  


_Bottom of the fourth. 0 runs. 0 hits. 2 errors._

  
  


_Top of the fifth._

Silver tosses the rosin bag in the air with his right hand, watching as the white powder puffs out when it lands in his palm. At this point he no longer has sweat gathered on his hand, he merely wanted something to fiddle with. He can see Lilia off to the side, preparing his swings, his bat cutting through the air and Silver squeezes the rosin bag harder. 

The umpire motions for Lilia to step up to the plate and Silver drops the little canvas bag behind him, mentally preparing himself for the trial to come.

He can't contain his shock when Lilia goes to the left side of the plate instead of his usual right.

Lilia chuckles, "Did you forget that I'm a switch hitter? I thought it'd be nice to bat as a lefty, what do you think~?" 

His teasing tone directed straight towards Silver, the helmet on his head shadowing his face only contributes to his menacing aura. At times Silver foolishly forgets how frightening Lilia can be _especially_ when it comes down to baseball. They're been playing on the same side for so long he hardly, if ever, had to face his wrath, but that all ends today.

Silver keenly awaits Sebek's lead.

2, 1, 2. 

He taps his right thigh. His glove around Lilia's kneecaps, barely grazing the strike zone, dead center.

Curveball.

Silver's knees lock up, he's steadily loosening his grip on the ball and his limbs are akin to a marionette puppet, wooden and clunking awfully together to produce an awkward range of motion.

When he lets go of the ball he realises too late that he had an improper hold thus releasing it too early. Sebek quickly shifts from his crouch to an upright standing position in his desperate attempt to save the ball as it almost makes it over his head but his glove manages to stop it in time.

_Ball._

_1-0_

Sebek takes a step in front of Lilia, briefly making eye contact with Silver before he throws the ball back. He makes no other effort as he crouches in position, waiting for Silver’s pitch.

He's still adamant about the curveball.

Silver can only resign to his fate because Sebek's correct in his lead. His sliders would give Lilia the perfect opportunity for an outfield hit, his changeups were only really effective against less experienced batters and his cutter wasn't even an option.

He _needed_ to rely on his curveball. It was his only chance at striking out Lilia. He needed to trust Sebek. He neede--

Lilia steps out of the batter's box and stretches a bit, clearly Silver took too much time in deliberating his options because he failed to wind up, further delaying the game.

He shakes his head, and the minute Lilia situates himself in the batter's box he pitches again.

_Ball._

_2-0_

And again.

_Ball._

_3-0_

And--

Sebek turns towards the umpire and they exchange a few words before the catcher himself trots up to Silver.

_Mound visit._

He shucks off his mask, dropping it to the ground with less than graceful movements that deafens Silver’s ears, his glove soon joins it. Everything shifts out of focus, blurring his vision so that all he can manage to clearly see is Sebek.

Sebek grabs his shoulders, squeezing them under his grip, forcing Silver to look back at him and the intensity behind his gaze makes him falter, swallowing him whole under their ferocity.

"I don't know _or_ care about what happened in the past concerning your curveballs," he rasps out, slow and deliberate.

Silver's eyes shift towards Sebek's throat, watching as his adam's apple bobs up and down as he swallows, "But you're releasing your pitches too early and they're not dropping properly."

"Trust that my glove will be there." 

Sebek pulls him closer, his fingers clutching onto his jersey, wrinkling the fabric. 

" _Trust my lead._ " 

It's a desperate attempt to get Silver to focus, their breaths intermingling with one another but if Sebek could just get _through_ to him.

Chartreuse meets lilac.

And Silver nods. It's small and Sebek has to question himself if he imagined it in the first place as he leans his forehead against Silver's. When Silver nods again, he can feel it, the movement against his skull.

Sebek lingers for a second longer before he breaks away, releasing Silver from his hold, and returns to his place behind home plate. His glove awaits in the same position, in the lower center of the strike zone.

Silver takes a deep breath, feels the seams of the ball in between his fingertips, and begins to windup. When he throws the ball out of his hand, it feels

Different.

Lighter somehow. 

_Strike._

_3-1_

Lilia not even moving an inch as he watches the ball go past home plate and into Sebek's glove. He readjusts his grip on the bat, and Silver doesn't let his confidence soar too much, Lilia has great eyes when it comes to the batter's box and he's never had to hit off any of his curveballs so he's merely observing the way his pitch breaks to see the best batting approach.

It doesn't deter him in the slightest, now that he's felt the adrenaline rush of striking with his curveball again after so long, he's greedy for more.

When Silver's eyes land on Sebek, the catcher holds his fist out, and pounds his glove.

Silver nods.

Same pitch. Same location.

Confidence rushes through him when he goes through his practiced motion, and as he throws the ball he can see it approach faster to the plate.

_Strike._

_3-2_

Lilia remains motionless.

It's a full count. Only one more strike left. _One_ more strike until he shuts down Lilia. 

Silver rolls his shoulders in anticipation, loosening up his limbs as he awaits Sebek’s next call.

Sebek sets his glove near the inside corner.

It all rides on this one pitch, Silver steadies his breathing, and at a time where his fingers would've crumbled under the increasing weight of the ball in his hand, it's the lightest it's ever been. A mere feather he can manipulate with his fingertips.

And he does just that. The ball, an extension of his arm as it hurdles towards Sebek, Lilia begins to step with his right leg, his bat slowly coming to life before he stops, his swing dying before it even properly started.

_Strike._

_Lilia Vanrogue strikes out. 1 out._

This is but a small victory in the grand scale of things, Silver has struck out people before but this strikeout is special and he cherishes it. Why, you may ask?

" **Nice pitch!** " 

It's Sebek who first shouts it, the rest of the fielders joining in. It's Sebek who rushes up to him and hooks his arm around his neck, his cheek pressed tightly to his as he rains praises upon praises on him, getting swept up in the excitement to even get embarrassed.

Because it's Sebek who's helped him realise that the ball is far less heavy if there are two hands holding it.

As the newfounded battery celebrate their first strikeout against Lilia, the lead-off hitter themself ambles towards Team A's dugout. He softly whistles a tune as he enters, discarding his batting gloves once he nears his claimed spot on the bench, dropping them besides his bag.

"You don't usually strikeout looking."

It's Malleus who speaks out to him, and he looks over to see the tall dignified pitcher by his side, face devoid of emotion.

"Hmm~?" Lilia spares him a glance before he readjusts his hat, a grin plastered on his face, "Well I suppose today wasn't my lucky day."

Malleus looks over to Silver, the deep rumbling of the umpire's 'Strike!' still resounding in his ears.

"I suppose so..." he hums out.

…

_End of the top of the fifth. 17 runs. 14 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the fifth. 1 run. 2 hits. 2 errors._

_Top of the sixth. 18 runs. 14 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the sixth. 1 run. 2 hits. 2 errors._

_Top of the seventh. 20 runs. 16 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the seventh. 2 runs. 4 hits. 2 errors._

_Pitching substitution. ______ ________ replaces Silver Saber._

_Top of the eight. 23 runs. 18 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the eight. 2 runs. 4 hits. 2 errors._

_Top of the ninth. 29 runs. 20 hits. 0 errors._

_Bottom of the ninth. 2 runs. 5 hits. 2 errors._

_End game._

_Team A wins. Final score: 29 - 2_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Usually i feel a moderate amount of nerves when i post something but this takes the cake aha ig because its something ive been meaning to do for a while now and of course i chose to write a baseball fic for the one fandom im a part of that has nothing to do with baseball,,, i amaze myself i truly do  
> Also the fact that its been like what? 5 years since i last played so im a bit rusty and the only knowledge i have now of baseball is based on the media i consume (anime, manga, live games and reddit posts) so i apologize if the catcher/pitcher portrayal isnt the best…  
> I was a shortstop who occasionally played 2nd and seldom 1st so its very hard to wrap my head around different types of pitches and the role of the catcher/pitcher since i never bothered to play those positions and i kinda regret it because that irl knowledge wouldve been especially helpful right now lol  
> I hope you enjoyed it despite all that and if youve read this far you have my gratitude for being able to handle all that strenuous amount of baseball jargon ;-;
> 
> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/pufflers?s=20) if you would like to scream at me because thats pretty valid


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